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墨書 Inktalez
Calculating that the Emperor wouldn't be at Miyu at this hour, I decided to climb over the wall to find Li Jiu. As soon as I entered, I saw the Crown Prince and his master engaged in a discussion. Today, I really didn't have the mood to argue with that unruly Crown Prince. I lazily stepped inside and said, "Oh, the Crown Prince is here too," before settling down cross-legged in my usual corner.
Sima Shao was about to speak, but when I shot him a glare, he swallowed his words. I knew he wanted to say, "How dare you not pay your respects upon seeing the Crown Prince?" There were indeed many rules in this palace, but I wasn't in the mood to quibble about them today. Ever since that day when I had given him a thorough lesson, although he still put on a domineering front, there was a hint of respect in his demeanor towards me. I missed the feeling of sneaking off to smoke with my senior brothers at the tavern after training back in modern times. Even if it was just an occasional indulgence, that sense of relaxation was exactly what I needed right now.
Li Jiu and that brat whispered a lot in my ear, but all I wanted was to close my eyes and rest. Lazily, I said, "Don't make noise. Li Jiu, I'm so tired. Let me sleep for five minutes." I knew they were curious about what 'five minutes' meant, but I couldn't be bothered to satisfy their curiosity.
I murmured with my eyes closed, "Li Jiu, sing me a song." Knowing he would refuse, I emphasized, "Just hum something. Consider it my lullaby."
Sure enough, he began to hum a tune that seemed to be an adaptation of Qu Yuan's poetry; it was quite pleasant. My body relaxed completely.
After resting for a bit, I opened my eyes and glared fiercely at the brat. "Brat, go read your book. Adults are talking; children should not listen."
"The Crown Prince is no longer a child; you woman!" Although he said this, under the pressure from Li Jiu and me, he obediently continued reading.
Li Jiu stood up, and we silently walked out into the courtyard together.
"What's wrong?"
I smiled lightly and replied nonchalantly, "Nothing much; it's just that I've been climbing your wall every night, messing up my day and night schedule. I'm a bit tired now."
He looked at me with an expression that said he thought I was pretending but didn’t call me out on it.
I stretched lazily without any decorum. Li Jiu looked like he was about to faint from shock and was about to comment on how inappropriate it was for a lady to act this way when I cut him off: "After knowing each other for so long, you still aren't used to it?" I glanced down at the sorry state of the flowers and plants on the ground and added, "You really need to take better care of this courtyard; it's hideous."
He chuckled nonchalantly. Of course, someone like him who lived so casually wouldn’t care about his own residence. At first glance, I thought this Miyu was an abandoned house. Little did I know it was a villa personally granted by the Emperor to him. He didn't want palace maids or eunuchs managing it, which explained its current state.
"I'll be moving soon," I told him.
"Where can you move to in such a remote place?"
I looked at him seriously: "Frostfall Palace."
He glanced with a strange look in his eyes, quickly turning away and softly asking, "Have you made your decision?"
"Mm."
He smiled, then looked a bit confused. "Firefly, sometimes I really don't know if entering the palace is right or wrong for you."
I gazed blankly, my voice devoid of any emotion. "We don't need to delve into things whose outcomes we cannot predict."
"Your Majesty, this is the grape that I personally peeled for you." Consort Wang nestled gracefully against the armrest of the dragon throne, looking up at him with a hopeful smile.
Sima Rui enjoyed the favor of the beautiful woman, eating the fruit while casually stroking her smooth black hair, which was fragrant with flowers and refreshing to the senses. After observing her for a moment, he turned to Wang Dieyi, who sat on his left. She always appeared cold and aloof in public, as if she looked down on mingling with others. However, Sima Rui knew that if he treated her with a bit more kindness, she would respond with a smile. This charming demeanor was indeed captivating. He reached out to hold her dark tresses, and the ice beauty smiled gently, leaning closer.
For some reason, as he looked at these smiling beauties, he couldn’t help but think of that woman who disregarded imperial edicts. She usually seemed weak and timid, always respectful and deferential, lacking any allure that attracted his gaze. Although her looks were indeed exceptional, there were many beautiful women in this harem.
But that damned woman! Sima Rui's mind kept flashing back to that day when her calm yet pained gaze was filled with contradictions—clearly unwilling yet offering no defense; she should have pleaded for mercy but instead asked him to demote her to Frostfall Palace.
Even now, Sima Rui remembered the stubbornness that flickered in her eyes—determination, confusion, pain... and a depth that even he found hard to comprehend.
Where did she get such compelling power that made him want to approach her again and again? She was merely a girl resembling Little Jin; in essence, just a substitute. Yet why did he start to feel something different about her? He couldn't quite articulate what it was—Sima Rui furrowed his brow.
In truth, he had initially dismissed what that maid named Yun Ying said. However, he couldn't forget the day he went to Jiu Nian Xuan looking for her and heard her scolding that maid from afar. Occasionally, sharp slaps echoed from within the room. But when he entered, everything changed; aside from the slight blush on the maid's face and the tears glistening in her eyes. Although Sima Rui had said nothing that day, his disdain for her gradually accumulated. Little Jin would never treat someone like that; she had once said everyone was equal and treated her little scholar like a brother rather than a servant. Speaking of which, how was this maid somewhat similar to Little Jin's little scholar? Was it just coincidence?
Later on, those women caused quite a stir with their curse incident. Sima Rui merely went along with it; he didn't want to see that woman again until the day she knelt before him pleading to be moved to Frostfall Palace. That was when he reevaluated this woman whom he had favored for a month.
"Your Majesty..."
"What?" Sima Rui snapped back to reality, lazily glancing at Consort Wang.
"Does Your Majesty think my newly tailored palace attire is beautiful?"
Sima Rui cast a light glance, and indeed, it was stunningly extravagant, perfectly tailored to showcase her impressive figure. This was Jun Jin's outfit, which he had seen at the Fashion Show that day.
Right, after returning to the palace, he had almost forgotten the scene he had caught a glimpse of that day. It seemed he needed to find a time to meet that frail and sickly little consort in person. Was that person really her? If it was her, then why did she disguise herself as a man?
"Quite nice, very charming."
"Is it?" Consort Wang smiled sweetly. "This servant still doesn't have suitable jewelry to match."
Sima Rui took a sip of wine; in any case, it was all about seeking favor.
He chuckled and called out, "Gao Lu."
"Servant is here." Gao Lu immediately knelt to the side.
"Bring out the gold and jade ornaments that Xianbei presented last month, and reward them according to their rank. Oh, and give my favorite butterfly-shaped jade ring to Consort Wang." Hearing the consorts express their gratitude with joy, he merely smiled and walked out of the Ritual Palace. He waved his hand to dismiss anyone following him and headed straight for the Imperial Garden.
Originally intending to admire the flowers, his thoughts vanished entirely upon seeing the spot where she had knelt that day. Unable to control the direction of his legs, he found himself unconsciously walking towards Jiu Nian Xuan.
The moon hung high in the sky, and the autumn night was slightly cool. His mood was peculiarly pleasant; unlike usual, he entered without announcing himself.
The dim courtyard was faintly visible under the bright moonlight. In the quiet space, only a lamp by the window glowed warmly. Sima Rui naturally walked over, and as he approached, he heard voices. He couldn't help but stop and listen—
"Master, it's getting late; you should rest."
"Alright, alright, stop nagging. Xiao Quanzi, you're even louder than Yun Ying."
"Master, don't compare me to that traitor!" Xiao Quanzi retorted angrily.
I looked up in surprise. "Xiao Quanzi, you can use idioms now." Seeing that he was about to get angry and ignore me, I laughed and said, "Alright, my mistake; I was just joking. Don't blame her; Yun Ying has her reasons for acting this way. I trust her."
"You're too soft-hearted. My lord, you should change your clothes; otherwise, your white outfit will turn into a colorful one."
I looked down at my clothes and noticed they were indeed getting dirty. In the past, Yun Ying would remind me to change before I started painting. Since she wasn't here, I naturally forgot. Xiao Quanzi must have noticed.
I set down my brush, took off my outer garment, and put on a loose black robe. With this moment of leisure, Xiao Quanzi came closer to see what I was painting and exclaimed, "Oh?! My lord, what are you drawing?"
I covered my mouth and laughed, "This is called a comic. How should I explain it? A comic is a way to record stories, like using a special drawing style to weave real things into a narrative with unique characters. It's similar to some short stories or autobiographies that people are starting to write now, or historical records. However, comics are more vivid. Look, this is Consort Wang, this is Consort Huan, and those beautiful ladies are the Consorts. And over there is the emperor. Generally, artists aim for realism in their drawings, but mine are processed through my imagination. Aren't these cartoon characters adorable?" I spoke to myself as I gazed at the drawings, which I found increasingly charming. Since I had nothing but idle time in the palace, why not find some fun to pass the time? I planned to publish a serialized comic titled "The Affairs of Women in the Harem." After all, these events were happening right around me; I wouldn't lack material. Moreover, Jun Jin Villa always acted unpredictably; once published, it would surely be a hit.
I had already completed the first two volumes and needed just a few more before I could let Little Seven handle the packaging. The thought of my comic becoming popular in ancient times thrilled me!
Just as I was wondering why Xiao Quanzi had suddenly fallen silent, I turned around and called out to him: "Xiao Quanzi, you—ah?! The emperor!" I stared in shock at the emperor who had come late at night. When did he arrive?! Had he heard everything I said? Forgetting to bow in greeting was fortunate; thankfully, he didn't pursue it.
"What interesting thing are you looking at? Let me see as well."
As I stepped back, I hurriedly stuffed all the drawings into the drawer. Embarrassed, I smiled at him and said, "Nothing much."
He remained silent and walked around to stand behind me. He saw a table full of drawing papers; fortunately, the design sketches and comic illustrations were gone. What lay on the table were merely some sketches I'd drawn during my idle time.
He picked up a drawing of a pear blossom and examined it closely while facing away from me. Then he said casually, "I've heard that your aunt Consort Xie was once named the most talented woman in Jiankang. Do you have any thoughts on that?" Before I could respond, he suddenly turned to look at me and said, "Consort, isn't it strange? A few days ago when I went out incognito, I inadvertently saw someone whose silhouette resembled yours. How could my consort leave the palace without permission? I thought perhaps I had mistaken someone else; what do you think?"
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